Is it disrespectful to say ‘Obama’ without saying ‘President?’

Ever since I can remember, we’ve referred to our presidents by their last name — Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and so on. Whether we liked the guy or not, there was never any disrespect intended in doing so, and everyone knew who we were talking about.

The only time this became a problem was in 2000 when George W. Bush was elected into office. Then we had to make a distinction. It was “Bush-41” vs. “Bush-43,” “Bush the Elder” vs. “Bush the Younger” or just plain “H.W.” vs. “W.:”

But with the elevation of Barack Obama into the White House, it’s not simply a matter of identity — according to the Left, it’s now become a matter of respect.

A panel on MSNBC’s “The Cycle” discusses whether it’s disrespectful to identify the president as just “Obama.”